The Red Strokes
by Promises
Summary: When a new girl comes to Hogwarts, she brings more than just her strange powers. Now that Voldemort can get to her and Harry at the same time, he is going to try....very, very hard.
1. A Beginning

Okay - this is the rewritten version of my fic, trying to get it onto another site. It's not working so far. Very grumpy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter #1  
  
The caramel skinned gypsy girl stretched her long legs on the cherry leather seat in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express. She flicked her black curls out of her eyes, curled her legs back under herself, and wrapped her cobweb silk shawl tighter around her thin shoulders.  
  
To anyone looking on, she may have caught a few eyes. Her black hair was thick and shiny, a tumble of loose curls falling to past her waist. Her huge eyes were darkest blue, seeming black to those who didn't look closely, and framed by long, thick black eyelashes. She was tall, around 170 cm, or 5' 10". Her legs were long and slim, and her dark gypsy-Italian skin was unblemished.  
  
It was so cold in England, why was it so cold? She spread her patchwork skirt over her legs and tucked it under her knees, trying to trap a little warmth. It was never this cold in Sicily, and it was supposed to be summer. She looked up from her novel and out of the window at the green-grey scenery, and the pale smoke blue sky. This landscape held none of the pretty vibrant colours of Southern Italy.  
  
Someone thumped into the compartment door, snapping her awake. She could hear screams and shouts of laughter, and thumps as people ran into corridor walls and doors. She pressed closer to the weak sunlight filtering through window, and shivered. If only she had thought to wear something a little warmer, but she had only wanted to wear her favourite top, a hand woven and embroidered purple cotton thing that her grandmother had made her. She always wore it somewhere new. It was her good luck top. But it was not a top for cool weather.  
  
Still shivering slightly, she turned back to her book, an adapted novel version of Shakespeare's ITitus Andronicus./I  
  
The compartment doors slid open and a gangly boy burst in. "Sorry," he puffed, "I thought the cab was empty." He wiped his hand on his jeans and held it out, "I'm Jack. Jack Wilson."  
  
He had light smoky brown hair, an impish face, and a chirpy grin. The glint in his eyes hinted at too much mischief and many more practical jokes.  
  
It took her only a little while to translate what he had said into Italian, and then translate what she had to say into English. "Hello Jack. I am Ibis Goldeye." She shook his hand warmly, all her many bangles and bracelets jangled musically.  
  
"Sorry about bursting in like that. I was sort of getting chased." she pushed his fringe out of his brown eyes. "You're new, aren't you?"  
  
Ibis nodded, yes, "You have different voice, different." she struggled for the word, circling her hands wildly as she always did when she was stuck for a word.  
  
"Accent?" he supplied, "Yeah, I'm not British, I'm from Australia. But I got sent here because it's a better school. You aren't local either."  
  
"No. I come from Sicilia (for those who don't study Italian, it is pronounced sih-chil-ia). I mean Sicily, in southern Italy."  
  
"Ah, okay." Jack nodded. Someone outside shouted his name. He opened the door. "By the way, I'm in Gryffindor. I'm a Fifth Year!" he shouted as he rushed back out, slamming the door so hard that he cracked the bubble glass.  
  
Ibis sighed and pulled her wand out of her pocket. It was brand new, ebony, with a silk wrapped unicorn hair, and a string of gold and lapis, magical enhancers. She had made it herself, which was what all of her family did. This wand would answer only to her. She flicked the tip towards the cracked pane and whispered "IReparo/I." The glass shimmered slightly, and the crack disappeared, Ibis got back to her book, knowing she wouldn't be able to think, much less read, with all the racket in the hallway. Ibis sighed as a red tennis ball shattered the newly repaired glass inwards. "IReparo!!/I" she flicked her wand with more force than necessary. The glass returned to the door with a bang and a rattle.  
  
"Sorry, lost my tennis ball." A freckled face with cheerful blue eyes behind wire rimmed glasses poked through the now open door.  
  
"iWingardium Leviosa/I" Ibis guided the tennis ball over to the girl.  
  
"Thanks." the girl grabbed it out of the air, "You're new, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes. I previously attended a school in South Genova, I mean Genoa."  
  
"Oh! You're from Italy!" she grinned, "I'm Nikki Nutt, from Australia. My sister learnt Italian for a while, so I know a bit. Um. Iciao, mi chiamo Nikki Nutt.um.comé stai?/I"  
  
Ibis giggled, "I'm Ibis Goldeye, and I'm cold. IE tu?/I"  
  
Nikki laughed outright, "It is a bit chilly here, but you'll get used to it. I did. I had to. Hogwarts is so much better that the Australian school and I had to come here. My parents weren't too pleased, though."  
  
"Are you coming Nikki?" Jack appeared again, "One of your friends has found the tarantula that Lee Jordan lost last year."  
  
Ibis realised that the shouts in the corridor had become screams of panic. She gripped her wand tighter. If the tarantula came in here, it wouldn't go out again. She hated spiders with a passion.  
  
"I think Ron and Hermione have found it." Nikki grinned, and with a quick wave, disappeared, followed by Jack.  
  
Ibis brought her wand up, and drew a circle in the air, whispered a protective spell, and a golden bubble of warmth and silence enveloped her, blocking out the shouts in the corridor. She re-opened her novel, but she couldn't help wondering about what Hogwarts would be like. And why did she feel apprehensive, rather than ecstatically exited. Something hung quite heavily over her head, like the sleepless feeling she had when she had forgotten to do something, or deliberately not done something she should have. She muttered a prayer, and gripped the gypsy talisman that hung around her neck. Her fingers automatically traced the familiar shapes embossed in the tin, a falcon head, the symbol of her family, and the waterbird that was her symbol. She counted the moonstone chips in the border with her fingertips, feeling the smooth of the stones from years of being rubbed.  
  
* * *  
  
"I can't believe we are going back!" Nikki said, collapsing onto the seat in a finally empty compartment.  
  
"Yeah." Jack said, "Even thought I've been on this train four times before, it still seems unreal." He reached over and touched Nikki's cheek gently, "And I still can't believe I get to see you every day."  
  
"Yeah, lucky sod, aren't you." Nikki kissed him gently on the cheek.  
  
"It's a pity." Jack said, grabbing her chin and tilting her head so he could kiss her full on the mouth.  
  
"What?" Nikki asked, after kissing him back, "What's a pity?"  
  
"That we have so many friends." Jack said simply, "They are always in the way."  
  
"Well." Nikki whispered slowly, drawing out the "e". She watched silhouettes of people wander past the bubble glass in the compartment door window. "Well, a few well timed hexes and some roundhouse bitching could get rid of that problem."  
  
"Yeah." Jack laughed, "It got rid of Harry pretty quickly. I'm still surprised Ginny doesn't hate you for those things you said. Come to think of it, Harry doesn't hate you ether."  
  
Nikki giggled uncontrollably, "Hmm." She lay back on the seat, basking in the sun that was pouring in through the window. Her glasses tipped back into her reddy gold hair. She liked her hair now it wasn't that dishwater colour, confused between blonde and brown. She was glad Ginny had talked her into the colouring charm, which had a much more permanent, but more easily reversed effect than hair dye. And it matched the rims of her new glasses that she had got over the British summer/Australian winter holidays. They were sort of rectangle-ish with shiny metallic red wire frames; similar to the blue ones she used to have.  
  
Jack looked down at her. Sometimes he could never believe that this was the big, solid, boyish girl that he used to hang around with so much. Nikki hadn't grown much taller, but had slimmed right down to a model-like figure. She looked a little like Ginny Weasley now she had died her hair red, but, he thought, much prettier than Ginny. He realised she was speaking to him, and he had missed the question entirely. "What?"  
  
"I asked you what you were staring at." Nikki said, squinting up at him. Jack had changed too. He had grown until he was as tall as her, and his teeth had straightened a bit. Nikki was sure he wouldn't need braces now, his teeth didn't look nearly as crowded as they used to. And he had filled out a bit, not nearly as scrawny as he used to be, but more of a long, gangly figure. She squinted at him, reaching for her glasses, "Well, what are you staring at?"  
  
"I am staring at my beautiful girlfriend." He said, "Though I thought that was obvious enough."  
  
"Oh, bite me." Nikki snapped, wishing he wouldn't tease like that. Jack picked up her hand, and bit gently on her thumb, then kissed it. "Smart ass." Nikki grumbled, and sat up properly.  
  
"Sorry." Jack grinned, pretending to grovel for forgiveness, "I promise I'll never do it again oh high and mighty one."  
  
"Grow up." Nikki said, and kissed him. The best thing about Jack was his sense of humour. That and his strange devotion to her. "I can't wait to get to Hogwarts." She said, lying back down with her head on his lap.  
  
"Neither can I, I haven't had time to practice Quidditch much during the holidays. I want to get back on my broomstick and thoroughly enjoy myself." He told her, "But the best thing about being back is that I can see you every day, rather than just ring you and send letters."  
  
"Mmm." Nikki snuggled into him, "I think that seeing you is definitely the best bit. And that Chloe will be here now too."  
  
Just as she said the name, a small girl with curly blonde hair and deep brown eyes came in, struggling with her robes. Nikki and Jack sat up guiltily, and Nikki said, "Oh, Chloe. Are you stuck?"  
  
"Yes." Chloe said, "And I'm nervous. I don't want to go in there. I wanna go home."  
  
"You'll get used to it." Jack promised her, untangling the two sleaves of the robes. Nikki pulled the hem of the robes down to the floor, untucking bits and pieces from where they were stuck in the neck.  
  
"Thanks." Chloe said, "But I'm still nervous."  
  
"Don't be." Nikki told her gently, "You'll forget all about being nervous once you make a friend or two and go to lessons. First year is a lot of fun."  
  
* * *  
  
A hand reached through the bubble, and tapped Ibis on the shoulder. She muttered an evaporation spell, and the bubble vanished, leaving her face to face with the boy who had been talking to her earlier, Jack Someone.  
  
"We're at Hogwarts, Ibis." He grabbed her wrist, "C'mon." She just had time to grab her school cloak and robes, which were lying, neatly folded, on the seat. "Wait up Nikki!" Jack shouted.  
  
Nikki was guiding a scared looking young girl with curly blonde hair and wide brown eyes out of the train. "Ibis will have to go with the first years." Nikki pointed out, straightening the young girls cloak and re-pinning the pin. "You look after Ibis for me Chloe? She's new too."  
  
The little girl nodded and took Ibis's long brown hand into her soft white one. "C'mon Ibis. Nikki says we have to go over there."  
  
"Wait." Ibis stopped, and put on her robes. Then she wrapped her cloak around her shoulders and fastened the pin. "That is nicer." She said, relishing in the new warmth.  
  
"See ya once you're sorted." Nikki cried, and grabbed Jack's hand. Together they ran over to the horseless carriages, and jumped into one. Ibis saw two others follow them, a redheaded girl and a boy who was perhaps, from this distance, her brother.  
  
"Coming?" Chloe tugged her hand.  
  
"Yes." Ibis followed her, "I am coming. boats?" She stared at the lot of boats on the shore of the lake, and groaned. She had hoped for something warmer, like carriages. With a sigh of wind, it began to drizzle lightly. Just what she needed.  
  
"Over 'ere firs' years!" a giant man with a black beared cried out, waving his shovel sized hands in the air.  
  
"I think that is Hagrid." Chloe said, pulling Ibis over to a boat, "Nikki says he's nice. Don't worry."  
  
"I'm not worry-ed." Ibis muttered, climbing into one of the boats as Hagrid told them to. A small first year boy climbed in too.  
  
"I'm Nicholas Thomas." He said, and gripped the side of the magical boat as they lurched off, "My brother's a Gryffindor. I want to be a Gryffindor too."  
  
"Me too." Chloe said, "I'm Chloe Finn. My cousin is a Gryffindor."  
  
Ibis felt a rocking, as though something brushed against the bottom of the boat. She stared into the black water, and dipped her hand over the side. A tingling touched her mind, and she felt, rather than heard, a sigh of contentment. Her reflection broke, and she could see a silvery eye staring at her out of the depths. Something cold and slimy brushed her hand so lightly it was like a memory of a touch, or something from a dream. Then it was gone. "What." Ibis began, and then stopped. It had been so quick and so light, she wasn't even sure it had happened. "Weird."  
  
"Wake up Ibis." Chloe nudged her. "Look, you can see the castle."  
  
Ibis looked. The narrow slit windows gleamed like fairy lights, and her breath was gone at the sight. It was magnificent. "IBellissima/I." She whispered, staring until the jolt of the boat hitting the shore woke her again. She stepped out of the boat, her sandals hitting soft mud. It gave way a little, and she stumbled, swore, and almost fell.  
  
"Watch yerself." Hagrid caught her shoulder and steadied her, "C'mon you lot."  
  
He led them up stone steps to wide double doors. Ibis stared up, feeling the gentle, misty rain on her cheeks. The moon shone suddenly through the feathery clouds, and suddenly everything was alright. It's an omen, she thought, and automatically gripped her talisman.  
  
The double doors opened, and a stern looking witch frowned out at them. "I'll take them from here." She snapped, "Thankyou Hagrid." She scanned them all with x-ray eyes, "hurry up, chip-chop."  
  
Ibis followed her up the steps. Chloe grabbed her hand again, and held it tightly. "You wait here for a while." The grumpy looking teacher said, and left them in a small side-room.  
  
"I'm hungry, Ibis." Chloe whispered, "I was too excited to eat on the train." Ibis searched her skirt pockets, and found a chocolate frog. Chloe opened the wrapper and held the frog until it was still, then nibbled it. Ibis looked at the wizard card. It was one she had already, Wendelin the Weird.  
  
"All right. Let's go." The witch was back, and led them to another set of doors. Ibis straightened her robes, wiped chocolate off of Chloe's mouth, and re-pinned Nick's cloak.  
  
Then they walked into the Great Hall.  
  
* * * The Hall was amazing! Ibis stared until her eyes watered. She stared at the hangings on the walls, above each table, each bearing house symbols and colours. There was red with a gold lion, green with a silver snake, yellow- gold with a black badger, and blue with a silver eagle. Above the teachers' table there was the Hogwarts emblem, all the houses combined around a huge 'H'. And there were candles everywhere, floating just above the tallest persons reach, and casting a warm light on the room.  
  
The teacher that had led them in was now standing just in front of the teachers' table, positioning a stool, and holding a worn and battered hat in a reverent manner. Ibis hadn't realised she'd left the room, but she must have got the stool and hat from somewhere.  
  
As she set the hat on the stool, a rip in the brim opened, and the hat began to sing.  
  
centeriI know I'm a hat, It is very clear, But when I sit on your head, Or am very near, I can read your mind, Tell you things you didn't know, And sort you into the right house, To let your talents grow. For I'm a Sorting Hat, Which is plain to see, And to sort you out, Is the job left to me. Maybe you're a Slytherin, Cunning, clever and sly, Determined, these fellows, Are not a bit shy. Maybe you're a Gryffindor, Brave, headstrong and bold, Friendly and happy, And not a bit cold. Maybe you're a Ravenclaw, Clever, bright and smart, You have being right, Down to an art. Or maybe you're a Hufflepuff, Kind and loyal, Honest and caring, And not afraid of toil. I hear you asking, How do I know? Well come, put me on, And I'll show you, I'll show./I/center  
  
The witch pulled a piece of parchment out of her pocket and began to read off the names, starting with, "Arrow, Nancy."  
  
A little blonde girl ran out of the line and sat on the stool. When she put the hat on, it fell over her eyes and nose. It seemed to think for a while, then the rip-mouth opened and shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
The teacher worked her way down the list one by one, coming to "Finn, Chloe."  
  
Chloe ran out and sat down on the stool. The hat called out "GRYFFINDOR!" almost immediately. She ran over to sit with Nikki, Jack, and a pretty redhead at the table under the red hangings.  
  
"Goldeye, Ibis."  
  
Ibis walked out. She felt a bit silly sitting on the stool after all the smaller students.  
  
"Well, well, well." The Hat whispered, "I always do like a challenge. You really could be in any of the houses. You're as loyal as a Hufflepuff, yet as cunning and determined as a Slytherin. And you are brave. But you are smart. Such talent." He paused, "Yes, I think it is down between Ravenclaw and Slytherin for you."  
  
"I am not concerned." Ibis whispered, although her mouth didn't move, "Anything is okay with me."  
  
"Yes, yes." The Hat said, "Hmm. I think you'll do nicely in RAVENCLAW!" the Sorting Hat shouted the last word so that it almost deafened Ibis.  
  
She staggered over to the table under the blue hangings, and sat down to the ghost of a Lady dressed all in grey. Having been to a magic school before, and living on an old estate like she did, she was used to ghosts, and found them quite fascinating links to the past.  
  
"Take a house scarf." The ghost said, pointing to a box of blue and silver scarfs on the table, "They are supposed to be quite warm."  
  
Ibis took one and wrapped it around her neck, "Thankyou." She said, "They are warm. My name is Ibis Goldeye."  
  
"I am known as the Grey Lady." The ghost said, "I'm the Ravenclaw house ghost. Look," she pointed, "Your other little friend is going up now."  
  
Nick had the hat barely on his head before it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" and he ran over to sit with Chloe.  
  
Why did they get to be together? Ibis thought. She had grown quite attached to the little brats very quickly, and it hurt to see them where she couldn't talk to them. Stuck for somewhere to look, she looked down, and gasped. Her previously all black robes now had a blue satin edging around the cuffs, collar, hem, and down the front. There was also a blue house badge on the left breast pocket.  
  
"Hi." A boy with scruffy hair and a cheeky smile dropped into the seat next to her, "I know it's cool, isn't it?" he pointed to the hem of her robes, "I nearly had a heart attack when mine did that." He finished the conversation abruptly, and stared over at the Gryffindor table  
  
Ibis stared at him, and followed his gaze over to the table. He was staring at a beautiful girl with black hair and a dangerously low neckline. She caught the eye of the boy staring at her, giggled, and waved. He waved back and gave her a huge grin. Ibis turned to have a proper look at the boy, and decided she would be waving too, if she were the black haired girl.  
  
He wasn't mouth-wateringly hot by her standards, but he was cute. He had warm looking hazel-green eyes and dark red-brown hair that seemed very untamed. It was rather long and scruffy, curving forward in pretty points to his face, and sticking up at the fringe. He was fairly tall, an inch or two more than Ibis's own height, which wasn't bad for his age. He noticed her looking, and grinned, one side of his mouth going higher than the other, in a sort of move-star lopsided smile.  
  
He turned back to look at the Gryffindors again, and Ibis's eyes travelled down his body. He wasn't overly muscly, but, from what she could see through his faded blue tee-shirt, he exercised regularly. He wasn't bad looking, and he was friendly.  
  
He's obviously interested in someone else, she told herself, and he doesn't quite make your mouth water, so keep your hands off.  
  
"That's Mistene Divine. I think I like her a bit, but I'm too scared to ask her out." He told her, "And I'm Jackson Page. Dumb name, eh?"  
  
"Not really." Ibis said, now knowing why he enjoyed staring across the room like that. Some boys never grew up, "I am Ibis Goldeye."  
  
"Nice name." He said, and added, "No, I mean it, I wasn't being nasty. I do like it. You sound Italian, but Goldeye doesn't sound like an Italian name."  
  
"It is not." She told him, "My real name is Ibis Dell'orocchi, which means Goldeye."  
  
"Ah," Jackson said, "I see. You just say Goldeye so people don't give you strange looks and ask 'what?'"  
  
Ibis nodded, and looked back at the table. Sharp green eyes met hers from behind thick glasses. Ibis looked away quickly. It was Harry Potter. Strangely, she was compelled to look back, but when she did, he was animatedly talking to a redheaded girl next to him.  
  
"That's Harry Potter," Jackson said, stating the very obvious. "And that girl he's talking to is his Ginny Weasley. They are with each other." He added more helpfully.  
  
Ibis nodded again, spotting some more friendly faces over on the other tables. She realised that she was not the only one staring at the Gryffindor table. A pale, but still fairly good looking, Slytherin was staring straight at Harry Potter too. He had a look of absolute loathing on his face.  
  
"That's Draco Malfoy." Jackson told her, "He's a real creep. Well, I mean he isn't very nice to everyone. Only to other Slytherins, and he doesn't like muggle-borns."  
  
Ibis nodded again. She had been ready for the prejudice against those who were considered not of pure blood. She had grown up with it all around her at the other school. It was not directed at her, the magic streak ran through the Goldeye family from Roman times. Ibis's family had been persecuted all through the Gypsy killing times, as well as the medieval times when people feared magic.  
  
She found herself staring over at Potter again, and shook her eyes off of him. Just because he was famous it didn't mean she could go all gooey over him. She averted her eyes to the Slytherin table instead.  
  
Oh, cold wave. The blonde boy who had been staring at Potter and Ginny Weasley was now staring straight at her. He must have sensed her eyes on him. He sort of tilted his head, as if evaluating her, and then smiled a cocky smile. Before she could react, he was looking in the other direction. Ibis shuddered.  
  
Jackson touched her arm in a friendly way, "Don't worry about him, I told you. He's a creep, a real creep." He grinned, "And he always does his best to freak people out, smug prick." He laughed.  
  
Ibis started, and then relaxed. "You. you make humour?" thinking for a moment, she corrected her self, "You jest. Make joke, funny." She smiled to herself, "Sorry, my English is not that perfect."  
  
"You speak it very well." Jackson told her, "Though it is clear that it is your second language, but the accent just makes you more.special. Exotic is the word."  
  
"Thankyou." Ibis said. She stared at her plate, and then at the food. She hadn't even thought of eating yet. In fact, she wasn't hungry at all. She pushed her plate to the side, and continued staring around the room.  
  
"So." Jackson interrupted her staring, "Why'd you come here to school?"  
  
"No reason." Ibis told him, "My parents just wanted to send me here. My grandmother disapproved though." She wondered at how open she was being, but Jackson was nice, "My grandmother is very strong on us children staying in the mother country,"  
  
"My dad is too involved in my private life." Jackson told her, "Always wanting to know what is going on, and always making stupid suggestions on how to 'catch girls'" he laughed, "At least he's at work most of the time, and I can get a bit of a break. Mum's pretty good, but she still treats me like a ten-year-old."  
  
"Most parents are protective." Ibis said, "My mother is always upset when I go back to school. This year was worse, coming all the way over here. But it was necessary."  
  
"Hey." Jackson pointed with his fork to her plate, cleverly spearing a potato on the way, "You haven't touched your food." He stuffed the potato in his mouth without cutting it. Mercifully, it was a small potato.  
  
Ibis giggled madly at his antics, "I'm not hungry." She said, pushing the plate over to him.  
  
"But you gotta eat." He protested, pushing the plate back. He gripped her arm up near her shoulder, pulling the robes against her skin. "You look too damn skinny as it is."  
  
"I'm just not hungry." Ibis told him, wrenching her arm out of his grip and massaging it. His grip wasn't tight, but lately she had been bruising easily.  
  
"Well." He cut one of the potatoes up and speared a chunk on her fork, "Here comes the aeroplane." He forced her to eat first one chunk of potato, then another, until her plate was void of vegetables.  
  
"There!" he said triumphantly, forcing more giggles from Ibis, and from another girl sitting further down the table.  
  
* * * Mistene watched them, strange feelings of jealousy welling up inside. He was hers. Not formally, but she had had her eyes on him for a long time. It wasn't fair that he should have so much fun with the new girl. She shrugged, pushing it to the back of her mind. He was probably just being friendly. It certainly didn't look intimate. But still, she would keep an eye on this girl. And what better way to do that than to become her friend? 


	2. A Start

Chapter #2  
  
"Oof." Nikki plonked down in a squishy armchair next to Jack, "Got your timetable yet?"  
  
"Yeah." He nodded, "It looks boring. Potions with Hufflepuffs first thing, then Transfiguration." He screwed up his nose, "McGonagall is so strict. I almost failed last year on behavior points."  
  
Nikki laughed, "That's life. Potions should be better."  
  
Jack continued screwing up his nose until his face looked like a shriveled mushroom. "Just because Snape seems to like you." he groaned.  
  
"He doesn't dislike you." Nikki pointed out. "I recall the end of last year; he gave you five points for Gryffindor for answering a question no one else could."  
  
"Yeah. Wonder if he's seeing anyone. He's going all soft." Jack nodded, agreeing with himself, "It MUST be a woman's touch."  
  
Nikki smiled secretly. SHE knew what was going on, but time to change the subject. "I'm bored." She said.  
  
Jack grinned evilly, "I know where there is an empty classroom we can use."  
  
Nikki slapped him, hard, "Don't be suggestive." Then she lowered her eyelids and peered out from under the lashes, "Well. I could take you up on that offer."  
  
Jack leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, "We ARE already an item, girl. You don't need to flirt with me." He patted his knee, and Nikki came and sat on him.  
  
"I'm a bitch, aren't I?" Nikki whispered, twisting so she could face him, and kissing him on the cheek.  
  
"Nah, you're just perfect." Jack grinned, "And anyway, why would I hate you?"  
  
"Because I'm nasty.and mean.and a cheat.and a liar." Nikki whispered, snuggling into Jack.  
  
"Miss Nutt, Mister Wilson." Professor McGonagall chose that exact moment to walk in. "What exactly do you think you are doing?"  
  
"Umm. Nothing Professor," the two chorused in unison, jumping out of the chair.  
  
"I thought so." McGonagall nodded, "Now, get to bed."  
  
As they started to run off, she added, "And separate beds, please."  
  
Jack and Nikki cracked up, and raced to their rooms.  
  
"What was that all about?" Ginny asked, poking her head out from the hangings surrounding her bed.  
  
"Oh, nothing much," Nikki said, "Just McGonagall attempting to make a joke. Quite funny actually."  
  
Ginny nodded, "Hmm. Bet she'll be making a few more. Honestly, I don't think you and Jack could've got any closer, the way you were sitting."  
  
"You saw?"  
  
"Yes, unfortunately. It was quite sickening."  
  
"What's happening?" Hermione asked, trying to untangle the spiral hairbrush from her hair.  
  
Ginny bounced over and helped her, "Nikki and Jack were getting up to the usual."  
  
"No worse than you and Harry I suppose." Nikki said in a sarcastic tone.  
  
"True." Hermione nodded, "Except Ginny HAS found a way to get closer to Harry."  
  
Ginny slapped her, and a hairbrush fight/pillow fight began.  
  
"OW!" Nikki roared, forcibly removing Ginny's foot from her stomach.  
  
Ginny giggled, "Stop tickling me." She wrenched her foot away.  
  
"Thanks." Nikki grunted, trying to catch her breath.  
  
"What is all that noise?"  
  
"Damn." Nikki whispered, looking up to see Professor McGonagall in the doorway.  
  
"Nothing." Hermione said plainly, "We're just.mucking around."  
  
"Look." McGonagall said plainly, "You are excited to be back, you are excited to be together again, but it is now ten thirty and it is time for bed."  
  
"Aww." The girls moaned, and slid back into their beds.  
  
"Put your pajamas on first, Miss Nutt."  
  
"Damn." Nikki muttered again.  
  
A few hours later, Nikki's pet cat, Bubbles, ran into the room, a piece of parchment in her mouth. Although not an owl, Bubbles was very good at delivering messages around the castle. She sprang up onto Nikki's pillow, and began walking all over her face.  
  
"Geroff." Nikki muttered sleepily.  
  
Bubbles yowled in her ear.  
  
"Okay, okay." Nikki sat up, "What is it?" she took the note, lighted her wand, and grinned as she read it.  
  
Keeping the light from her wand low, she got dressed quietly. Bubbles yawned, and fell asleep on Nikki's pillow, which was strictly forbidden, but Nikki didn't notice. She slipped out of the dorms, and into the common room. "Hey?" she whispered.  
  
"Boo." Jack whispered, stepping out of the shadows. He was dressed all in black, as was Nikki. He grinned, glad that he had told her to. He also had a backpack, black like everything else. Nikki guessed that he had used a colouring charm.  
  
"What's this all about?" Nikki asked, raising her eyebrows.  
  
Jack put a finger to her lips, silencing her, and drew the invisibility cloak over them.  
  
"Harry will kill you." She protested.  
  
"I'd like to see him try." Jack grinned, "And anyway, he won't know if we don't tell him."  
  
"I guess." Nikki giggled. It wasn't the first time she and Jack had crept away to be together.  
  
They snuck out behind the portrait. "Off again?" the fat lady whispered, catching sight of Jack as he adjusted the cloak, "I should tell Dumbledore about this." She muttered after them, "But I guess it's only harmless fun."  
  
They crept silently past the empty classrooms, and up countless flights of stairs, past sleeping portraits, and finally up to the astronomy tower. Jack folded the cloak neatly and tucked it away in a corner.  
  
Then he opened the window and climbed out onto the roof, pulling Nikki after him.  
  
"What?" she whispered, climbing out carefully.  
  
"Trust me. And no one can find us here." Jack lay back on the tiles, his feet braced against the gutter. "Got music or candles?" he pulled a blanket out from his backpack and wrapping it around her shoulders.  
  
Nikki snuggled into it, glad for the warmth, and pulled out her wand, "Not a candle, but anyway." She said, "Lumos."  
  
Her wand lit up, and she placed it between them. Jack pulled two bottles of Butterbeer out of the backpack, and a little singing crystal. As soon as he put it down it started to sing  
  
"...I don't wanna close my eyes/ I don't wanna fall asleep/ I'm gonna miss you baby.."  
  
Nikki grinned and kissed Jack on the nose, "You went through so much trouble to do this, for what?"  
  
"For you." Jack whispered, opening the Butterbeer. "You. I. We've been going out for ages, and I wanted to do something special."  
  
"I love you too Jack." Nikki told him. They had been going out for years. They were each other's first and only. Nikki hoped it would stay that way. She loved no one as much as she loved Jack.  
  
"I know we are only in fifth year, but I feel so much older." Jack whispered, taking a sip of Butterbeer.  
  
"We're in love." Nikki said, glad she had talked to her sister about this, "We'll feel what ever age we act. You act older, nicer, and more responsible than your age; of course you'll feel it too."  
  
"I guess." Jack said, tapping the crystal to turn the volume down a bit. He leant over and kissed Nikki's ear, and then her lips. "I guess so."  
  
Nikki smiled, and kissed him back. She moved her wand out of the way, and moved even closer to Jack. He put his arms around her gently, and looked up at the stars.  
  
"Look, a shooting star." He whispered, pointing.  
  
* * * Ibis tossed and turned, trying to muffle her sobs. She thought school at Hogwarts would be fun, but now, on her first night, she wished she was home.  
  
One of the girls had been so cruel, calling her names and picking on her accent. And she had to room with this horrible girl, worse luck.  
  
Ibis sighed and wiped her eyes, finally dosing off to a troubled sleep.  
  
* * * Looking around, all Ibis could see through the tears of frustration in her eyes was a blur of colours from the portraits and tapestries. She sank to the floor and rested her head on her knees and sobbed, well and truly lost. How could she find her way to Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts when she couldn't even find her way back to the Ravenclaw common room to start again? She was sure the little ghosty man in the funny bow tie had told her to go up the stairs and along the corridor. But she couldn't find the classroom no matter how hard she looked.  
  
Something small and warm brushed against her leg. Ibis raised her face and wiped her eyes. She was face to face with the small dust-brown cat that usually followed the caretaker, Mr. Filch around.  
  
"Hello Mrs. Norris." Ibis whispered, stroking the cat's ears, "Can you help me? Can you show me where my class is?"  
  
She hadn't been expecting the reaction. She didn't expect the little cat to turn and run down the hall and look back at her. And she didn't know what possessed her to follow it, but she did. Mrs. Norris led her down a set of stairs and through a maze of corridors, waiting if she got too far ahead, and then leading on. She stopped outside of a half open door and turned in little circles, clearly indicating that this was the final destination.  
  
Ibis stared, shrugged, and thanked the little cat. She reached back to fix her hair, and realised that her scrunchie had fallen out. Her hair was a tangled mess. She ran her fingers through it, and tied it in a loose knot at the back of her neck. At least it would be a little tame then. Finally she walked through the door and into her class.  
  
"Nice of you to join us, miss." the professor consulted his list, "Miss Goldeye. I am Professor Lupin, your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."  
  
Nearly all the class turned to look at the new arrival, and Ibis felt her face flush. She leapt towards the nearest empty seat, next to a Gryffindor girl with black curls that fell just past her shoulders. She looked familiar, but Ibis didn't try to place her.  
  
"Least some people have the decency to brush their hair." The girl said, raising her eyebrows nearly to her hairline, "Did someone forget to get up this morning?"  
  
"I got lost." Ibis defended herself, "The little ghost with the bow tie made me go the wrong way."  
  
"Bow tie? That would be peeves." The girl said, "Don't listen to him, he always picks on the newies. By the way, I'm Mistene Divine."  
  
That was it, the girl Jackson was staring at, "I'm Ibis Goldeye." Ibis said.  
  
"You're the new girl from Italy, aren't you?" Mistene said, then slapped her forehead, "Dumb question, your accent says it all."  
  
Ibis smiled, "I know my accent is bad." She said, "But I can not help it. If you travelled to Italy and tried to speak Italian, your accent would be bad to us."  
  
"I know." Mistene said, "And you accent isn't bad. For god's sake, the is nothing bad about it." She looked toward the teacher and batted her eyes, "He's cute, for a teacher."  
  
Ibis couldn't help but look. The teacher was fairly good, all wavy light brown hair and he wasn't that old. "I.suppose."  
  
"No doubt," Mistene added, "But he is cuter. He is plain hot."  
  
Ibis looked in the direction Mistene was pointing, and spotted Jackson a little down the row. She smiled secretly, and nodded, "He is nice looking."  
  
"He's HOT!!" Mistene said just a little too loudly, attracting the attention of some students. She giggled and waved at the starers, and they turned away.  
  
"So you like him?" Ibis asked, crossing her fingers.  
  
"Of course I do. He's hot, he's cute, he's fairly quiet.he's totally perfect." Mistene blew a kiss towards the completely unaware Jackson.  
  
Ibis's smile broadened. How perfect could it be? She only had to tell Jackson that Mistene liked him, and set them up together somewhere. Time to play matchmaker. "Do you think he likes you too?" she asked, playing the innocent.  
  
"Well if he doesn't he will soon." Mistene said slyly. She noticed Ibis's puzzled expression and explained, "All I have to do is bat my eyes, roll my hips, lick my lips, and the boys come running. They really are simple creatures, aren't they?"  
  
Ibis studied the other girl, and decided she could see why. "No, they are just easily coaxed into doing things." She decided that even if she had a figure other than that of a beanpole and hair that was a little tame, she still wouldn't be able to 'coax boys into doing things'. "So, you get everything you want?"  
  
"Yes." Mistene sighed, "Even better grades."  
  
Ibis's jaw dropped. "I don't believe you."  
  
Mistene cackled, "Oh, it only works with male teachers. All you have to do I give them a little of what they want." she trailed off, enjoying watching Ibis's eyes grow even wider. Geez, those eyes were big enough to start with, but now it looked though they would fall out of the poor girl's head. "Just give them a lap dance or something of the like." She giggled, savouring every minute, "Professor Snape is good in bed."  
  
Ibis's jaw almost hit the floor, and her eyes just popped, "You.didn't." she said weakly.  
  
"Blink already!" Mistene chuckled, "Of course I didn't."  
  
"I was. you had me worried." Ibis said, relaxing her eyes and closing her mouth. "Please do not do that again. I was very scared."  
  
Mistene stuffed her fingers in her mouth to stop from crying out too loudly. "Sorry." She whispered, when she was under control.  
  
Ibis shook her head, and sighed, turning to face the teacher. Mistene elbowed her again. "What?" she hissed.  
  
"See him." Mistene pointed to a dark haired boy sitting near the front. "He's Harry Potter."  
  
"You don't say." Ibis said, using an expression she had picked up off of Jackson, "I know. He is that famous it would be hard not to recognise him. All those photos in the magazines, and his interviews, just shows how famous he is. Is he egotistical?"  
  
"No, he's actually quite nice." Mistene said. "You could even call him shy. He hates the publicity. All he wants to do sometimes is crawl away and hide. He did that last year, when there was this big thing about You-Know- Who coming back into power. Me and a few others helped hide him."  
  
Ibis's eyes widened again. She hadn't expected Harry Potter to be a reluctant hero. "Really?" she asked.  
  
"Really!" Mistene said. "And sitting next to him is Ron Weasley. He's Harry's best friend."  
  
Ibis squinted at what she could see of Ron. He had a rather long nose, but she could see that he was getting more handsome as he got older.  
  
"He's taken." Mistene said in a matter-of-fact voice, "By her over there." She pointed to a girl with wavy brown hair. "That's Hermione Granger. She usually had bushy hair, a bit like yours, but we've got at her to use a spell to make it prettier."  
  
"What's the spell?" Ibis asked.  
  
"Ask Hermione. It takes a while to learn, and it can take forever to do without practice." Mistene said, "But she'll probably teach you. She's cool like that. Always helps people revise for tests and such."  
  
"So she is smart?" Ibis guessed.  
  
"She's a genius." Mistene said, "But she doesn't brag anymore. Apparently she used to be a bit of a know it all."  
  
"Oh." Ibis looked up to the board at the front of the class room, where Professor Lupin was writing something on the blackboard with a chalk charm on his wand.  
  
"Don't bother doing work." Mistene told her, "I'll get Hermione's notes later and get a copy for you."  
  
"But we'll get in trouble." Ibis said uncertainly. She hated trouble. Expulsion was her worst fear, and she would never try to do a thing like not pay attention in class, but trouble followed her, like nails to a magnet.  
  
Her brow creased as she remembered last year at her old school. With the scare of Voldemort coming back into power, and the rumours that he was in Southern Italy, her headmistress had been rather paranoid. But she had chosen to do something that would change Ibis's life. She had each student's magical aura measured by a professional. Ibis's aura had shown up as the most powerful in the school, more powerful than those of the teachers. More powerful, in fact, than the Dark Lord's, according to the Aura Reader.  
  
Ibis had fainted. When she came too, she was told she could now perform some special forms of magic. With special training, she would be able to perform all the magic she did then without a wand. By now she had learned all of her spells up to fourth year, and all the way up to seventh year transfiguration. And, she could now do a few willpower spells. These were extremely hard to do. The professional had a strong aura too, and could unlock doors using willpower spells. Willpower spells required no words, just a visualisation of what the spell must do. "Kinda like the Force! In Star Wars" one of Ibis's muggle born friends had explained.  
  
And her powers would grow. When she was told that, Ibis fainted again.  
  
That specialness had led to an even scarier event in her life. One which Professor Dumbledore could hopefully protect her from.  
  
"Ibis." Mistene jabbed her in the ribs, "Earth to bloody bird girl. Land, darling."  
  
Ibis turned to look at her, "Sorry. I was remembering." She apologised. Looking up at the board, she started copying notes frantically. Somehow she got them all down before the sound of a bell signalled the end of the lesson.  
  
She walked out in a daze still, and was cornered by Jackson.  
  
"Careful Ibis." He said, supporting her with his hands on her shoulders. "You look a bit scary there. What the hell is wrong?"  
  
"Just memories." Ibis said, trying to force images out of her head. She gave a big shaky sigh, and pulled herself upright. "What lesson have we now?"  
  
"Care for Magical Creatures." Jackson said. "You'll love it, come on." 


	3. A Change

Chapter #3  
  
Care for Magical Creatures took place near the Forbidden Forest, on the lawn in front of the Gamekeeper's hut.  
  
"Professor Hagrid is the Gamekeeper as well as the Care for Magical Creatures teacher." Jackson was saying, "And he's pretty cool, despite the big stink up two years ago about him being half-giant. He thinks that lessons should be interesting and fun, not just boring note-taking. Wish McGonagall shared his point of view." Jackson pointed down to some strange looking shapes in a pen near the hut, "Though sometimes I disagree with Hagrid's ideas of interesting."  
  
Ibis nodded, trying to ignore a buzzing in the back of her head. It was probably the start of a headache, nothing more. It had only started when she walked out of the castle and onto the lawn leading up to it.  
  
"Hagrid's idea of interesting is usually something with too many heads or claws." Jackson looked around, trailing off. Then he leapt into the air, waving his arms around like he had been stung, "Hey! Brian-you-loser! Over HERE! HEY!!" he shouted.  
  
The Hufflepuff boy he was waving at, Brian, started to lope easily over. Ibis stared, and her heart skipped.  
  
If Jackson was good looking, then this guy was gorgeous. His honey brown hair flopped childishly as he ran, his fringe falling in his wide light brown eyes. As his skidded comically to a halt next to Jackson, she realized how tall he was, a good six or seven inches taller than Jackson, and towering over Ibis by about 8.  
  
"Hi Jackson!" he said, not the least bit breathless, combing his fringe out of his eyes with his long, strong fingers.  
  
"Hi Brian." Jackson said, slapping his good friend on the back.  
  
Ibis's hands itched to touch the newcomer too. She felt her knees grow weak and tried to focus on something less cute. This guy was too hot to be true. He had muscles, many muscles that just showed through the front of his tee- shirt. And her was one of those boys who didn't wear baggy jeans, she notices, as she looked at his legs. She could see the muscles in them moving as he jigged on the spot. He wasn't too muscled though, Ibis was glad, but he was toned, very toned. And not just sporty, but sport obsessed, she noticed the black Nike swoosh on chest of his white tee- shirt.  
  
"Given up on Mistene?" Brian asked flippantly.  
  
"Huh?" Jackson asked. "No way!"  
  
"So this isn't your new girlfriend?" Brian asked.  
  
He asked about me! Ibis felt her knees grow weaker, and she hoped that there were chairs in Care for Magical Creatures class.  
  
"No, Ibis is just a friend." Jackson corrected him. "Brian, this is Ibis Goldeye. Ibis, this is Brian Wasco."  
  
"Hi." Ibis said a little shyly, and looked down at the ground to avoid Brian's gaze. She bit her lip, glad of her golden skin as it hid her flushed face.  
  
"Cute." Brian whispered only just loud enough for Ibis to catch, "So, she single?"  
  
When Jackson nodded, Brian got this strange look on his face. A slow half- smile that made Ibis's heart do gymnastics. It was fine for Jackson to smile that way, but Brian?! She was falling deeper into a massive crush.  
  
"Not that smile!" Jackson exclaimed, "I know that smile! I KNOW that SMILE!"  
  
"What?" Brian gave a mock-hurt raise of his eyebrows, and shrugged.  
  
"You are planning something, my friend!" Jackson accused, and pointed his finger at Brian, "And for all I know, it's not good. C'mon" he started down the slope to the hut.  
  
"Oh, it's good alright." Brian muttered, before following him down.  
  
Rubbing the back of her head - the buzzing was getting worse - Ibis followed.  
  
"Orright Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs." The giant teacher shouted, "Today we be doin' Kelpies."  
  
Ibis rubbed her head. gosh, whatever was wrong with her head, it kept getting worse. The buzzing was getting so loud she almost missed what Hagrid said next.  
  
"Now, Kelpies live mos'ly in wells and lakes. At th' momen', we 'ave a few in me well." He looked around the group, "'oo can tell me wha' a Kelpie is?"  
  
Jackson looked around to see if anyone else had raised their hand. When no one tried to answer, he raised his.  
  
"Yes Jackson?" Hagrid asked.  
  
"Kelpies are shape shifters, professor." Jackson said, "Except they don't shape shift as well as bogarts'. The usually shift into horses with a mane and tail of rushes, then lure people down to the lake and eat them."  
  
"Very good Jackson." Hagrid said, "An' does any'on know 'ow to kill a Kelpie?"  
  
Ibis tried to raise her hand, but the buzzing in her head was getting unbearable. She rubbed the back of her head, trying to get rid of the almost-pain. Someone - Jackson, she thought - asked her if she was alright.  
  
"I'm fine." She said, trying to focus on Jackson, or was it Brian. She tried especially hard to focus in case it was Brian.  
  
The buzzing wasn't almost pain now, it was pain. Ibis shook her head hard, and realized she was swaying. She grabbed Jackson's shirt sleeve, and tried to grab Brian's, but missed.  
  
The buzzing got to a point where it was so unbearable, and then with a crack, stopped. Ibis staggered, and let go of Jackson.  
  
"You.?" Jackson started to ask if she was okay, but trailed off staring at the forest. There was something in there.  
  
"Alright you lot." Hagrid said, pulling his crossbow out as if from nowhere (Hagrid has pockets that go somewhere!!) and aimed the bolt towards the forest. "Be careful now."  
  
With a scream, a whinny of some sort, a huge unicorn stallion leapt out of the forest. The beast pranced up and down the row of students, finally stopping right in front of Ibis.  
  
"Okay students. Back away slowly, very slowly. Don' make this thing mad." Hagrid said, keeping the crossbow aimed at the unicorn.  
  
::hello little one::  
  
"What?" Ibis whispered.  
  
::hello young one. You called to me::  
  
Ibis realized that she was talking, well, hearing the Unicorn speak. ::hello. I did not call:: she projected back in her mind.  
  
::you interest me. I came because your mind was open. You called:: The unicorn reared up.  
  
"Shit" Jackson grabbed the back of ibis's robes and pulled her out of the reach of the unicorn stallion's hooves.  
  
"Not shit." Brian said, just jumping backwards in time, "More than shit. More than F*****g shit!"  
  
::don't hurt them:: Ibis screamed mentally at the unicorn, breaking free of Jackson's grip and running forward.  
  
::I will do what I will:: the unicorn growled (if it is possible for an equine to growl) but he backed off.  
  
"Ibis." Jackson whispered.  
  
"Shut up." Brian hissed. "She's talking to it."  
  
"She's what?" Jackson gave him a you-are-either-insane-or-stupid look, "Are you out of your mind?"  
  
::you are a strange little two-legger. Very bold:: the unicorn leapt backwards, ::I will keep my eyes on you::  
  
The unicorn stallion galloped back into the forest.  
  
Ibis looked at the two boys, and smiled weakly. She staggered, fell backwards, and fainted.  
  
"Uh, Professor Hagrid?" Jackson called, "I think Ibis needs to go up to the medical wing."  
  
"Be a good lad and take her up there." Hagrid said, a little distracted.  
  
Jackson went to lift Ibis off the ground, but Brian grabbed the sleeve of his robes. "I'll carry her." He said.  
  
"I can." Jackson said. "She's my friend."  
  
Brian's light brown eyes lost every hint of their permanent smile. "I will carry her." He said forcefully.  
  
Jackson backed down, visibly shrinking, and doing his scared-puppy look. Suddenly he was very aware of why people backed away from Brian in a fight. "Ohhkay then." He said, "I'll just open the doors for you."  
  
Brian effortlessly lifted Ibis off the ground, "This girl is unnaturally light." He muttered, trying to carry her and push her hair out of her face, "Does she actually eat?"  
  
"I don't think so." Jackson said, still keeping a healthy distance away from his friend. Man, he thought, poor old Brian has it bad.  
  
* * * "Oh dear." Madame Pomfrey opened the door to the hospital wing to let Jackson, and Brian carrying Ibis, in, "What happened?"  
  
"Not sure." Jackson said, "She fainted when this huge unicorn interrupted our Care for Magical Creatures lesson."  
  
"I think she was trying to talk to it." Brian said. "She seemed to be trying to tell it something."  
  
"You are weird." Jackson hissed, elbowing Brian in the ribs. Brian glared at him, and the scared-puppy on backed away like his friend was very, very dangerous.  
  
"I wouldn't be surprised." Madame Pomfrey said suddenly, in a voice that confused both Jackson and Brian, "Professor Dumbledore did warn me about her. It is probably best to just let her sleep it off. If she doesn't wake by the end of lunch time, then I will revive her. You can go now, boys."  
  
"Can't I stay?" both Brian and Jackson added at the same time, "She's my friend." Jackson added.  
  
"I expect Hagrid wants you two back at class, so off you go." She looked at the disappointment on their faces, and added, "You will be able to come back at lunch time and visit her."  
  
A little more content with that, they left.  
  
"Where did you two go?" little miss nosy Padma Patil asked Jackson as he got back to class.  
  
"Up to the hospital wing." Jackson told her without slowing down. He was going to tell Hagrid what happened, and then at least pretend to do work. "Took Ibis up there."  
  
"Is she the new girl from Italy?" Padma asked, and then added cruelly, "She was crying last night, the sook."  
  
Jackson pretended not to hear her, preferring the silent treatment, but Brian stopped and gave the girl a long, hard look. Padma noticed the light in his eyes, something akin to malice, and backed away.  
  
"That Italian bitch is in the hospital wing." She whispered to Jessica Morey, one of her Ravenclaw friends.  
  
"That good?" Jessica whispered back.  
  
"Of course it's good!" Padma whispered, squeaking slightly, "It means that as long as his friend gets out of the way, I can get to Mr. JP Gorgeous, without him being busy with wog-girl."  
  
"Ahem."  
  
Padma turned around, finding herself face to face with Brian. Or rather, face to chest, seeing as he was so tall. Padma looked up, and immediately back down at the scary look on his face.  
  
"Don't" he said simply, but his expression said more, "Or I may have to forcibly remove your foot from your mouth and stick it uncomfortably up your."  
  
"Brian!" Jackson shouted from where he was trying to burn a Kelpie, "Give us a hand will you?"  
  
"Coming." Brian glared at Padma one more time, and ran over to help his friend.  
  
"I can't believe I ever thought that guy was cute." Padma whispered to Jessica.  
  
Jessica stared after Brian with a look on her face like she was pretending to be agreeing with her friend. "Yeah."  
  
* * * Mistene picked at her lunch, moving bits of beetroot that she didn't intend to eat around her plate, making pretty lace purple patterns on the gold crockery.  
  
She sneaked another glance at Jackson, who was bolting down his lunch. Why could guys like him eat so much and still stay thin. He ate like a horse that had been locked in an empty stable for a few days. Horses, icky. Why did she compare him to them, he was much better looking.  
  
"Hey." Ginny Weasley dropped down beside her, and began to pile food on her plate. Ginny was another prime example of people who could eat and eat and never gain weight. It made Mistene very, very cross. "Did you hear? One of the Ravenclaws fainted when their Care for Magical Creatures class was attacked by a unicorn."  
  
"Really?" Mistene said, not too interested. She was still busy glaring at Ginny's plate, and wishing she could eat the yummy-looking chocolate biscuits surrounding the rest of the meal.  
  
"Yeah." Ginny said, attacking her mashed potato and accidentally burying a biscuit, "Apparently it was that new girl that got sorted last night, the older one. Tegan said she was still in the hospital wing."  
  
Mistene jumped up, knocking over her chair. They had replaced the annoying benches that you had to do unladylike jumps over with chairs only at the end of the third term of her 5th year. Thank you Professor Dumbledore. "Got to go." She said, watching her purple patterned plate disappear for the house elves to wash, "Thanks Ginny." She raced off towards the hospital wing.  
  
Up and up, curse these goddamned stairs. Hang on, stairs are good exercise. "Bring on the stairs!" she shouted shamelessly, causing many portraits to stare at her in horror.  
  
"Mistene Divine, slow down!" Madame Pomfrey shouted and Mistene burst through the door. "What are you looking for now, a miracle cure for hyperactivity?"  
  
"No Madame Pomfrey." Mistene said, "I want to see Ibis." She remembered her manners, "I mean, could I please visit Ibis?"  
  
"Miss Goldeye?" Madame Pomfrey asked, "Of course you can, though she's not awake yet. I think she might have had a bit of a shock."  
  
"Yes Madame Pomfrey. Thank you." Mistene began to move towards a curtained off partition at the end of the ward, "Is it okay if I sit with her until she wakes up?"  
  
"Of course dear." The kindly old matron moved away, "Ah, mister Finch- Fletchy. No, Brian hasn't come up here yet."  
  
Mistene missed the end of the sentence as she ducked through the curtains around Ibis's bed. Ibis didn't look shocked, or scared, just peaceful, like she was asleep. Mistene wondered what fainting would be like, and if it was as dramatic as people said it was on the muggle story-box, the TV.  
  
"Do you mind if I wait for my friend here?" a boy with curly red-gold hair stepped through the curtains, "There's no one out there to talk to. I'm Justin."  
  
He sat down, and for the first time looked at Mistene properly. She watched his eyes track up and down and back up, and settle on just below her low enough neckline. She sighed, typical boy behavior. When would they grow some brains as well as balls and realize that girls were capable of very intelligent and worthy conversation? Except a boy's idea of worthy conversation was either about Quidditch, or the newest, hottest, porn magazine. Boys!!!  
  
"Huh?" Ibis sat up sleepily, "Why am I up here?"  
  
"You fainted." Mistene told her.  
  
"I know that." Ibis said, "But who brought me up here?"  
  
"Don't know" Mistene said, then leaned forward, and whispered, "Do you want to see an example of how I make a boy interested?"  
  
Ibis grinned. "Okay."  
  
Mistene sat back, made sure Justin was watching, crossed and uncrossed her legs, and shook out her hair.  
  
Ibis smiled, as Justin got visibly more interested. Mistene shook out her hair again, pushing out her bust. Justin looked more than interested now, he looked uncomfortable. Suddenly he jumped up, and raced away.  
  
"He obviously never gets any!" Mistene cackled, "And I hadn't even got started. Now the hard ones are the Slytherins."  
  
"You flirt with Slytherins?" Ibis asked disbelieving.  
  
"Ibis, darling, I flirt with everybody." Mistene said in her "teacher" voice, "It gets me what I want. You should try it."  
  
Ibis laughed dryly, "With a, how do you say it, a beanpole figure?" she laughed with more humor, "Everybody? Even Draco Malfoy?"  
  
"No. Not him. Never him." Mistene looked scandalized, and then laughed, "You cannot watch a guy grow up and then flirt with him. He was a prick when he was in nappies, he hasn't changed!"  
  
"You knew him when he was a toddler?" Ibis said, giving Mistene the wide- eyed look.  
  
"Yeah, our parents were in the same social group. We had to sit in the same playpen at the cocktail parties." Mistene smiled evilly, "He used to be so dumb. I remember when we were eight, and he did this really weird thing with this olive. He."  
  
"Ibis!" Jackson burst in, "Thank god you are okay. You scared us so badly."  
  
"I am okay." Ibis told him, "I faint a lot." She watched Mistene, and laughed inwardly. For once Mistene looked actually nervous in the company of a guy. She flattened her hair back, and then fluffed it up. She pulled her neckline up a little, then down a little, then up a little more. She crossed her legs, uncrossed them, tucked her feet under her chair, and then crossed her ankles. Her hands were like butterflies franticly trying to find the right flower.  
  
"So?" Ibis asked, trying to be casual, "Where's Brian?" I hope I didn't sound too hopeful, she crossed her fingers under the sheets.  
  
"Oh, he'll be here any second." Jackson said, "He carried you up here you know, up all those bloody stairs!"  
  
"Really?" Ibis almost squeaked. "I mean, that was nice of him." She added in a more controlled tone.  
  
Jackson smiled, and nodded. "Yeah, he should have been here. Must still be eating, the overgrown pig."  
  
"I heard that!" a tall, brown-eyed someone pushed through the curtains. "I was stuck talking to Justin. Poor fellow seemed somehow traumatized." He shot a meaningful look at Mistene, who was now sitting on her hands to stop them from flying.  
  
"Hey asshole." Mistene said brightly, grinning at him, and giving him the finger when he started to turn away.  
  
"Sorry. Hi bitch." He said back. "Are you okay now Ibis?"  
  
Oh, he's concerned, she melted, "I'm fine now."  
  
"Did you actually talk to the unicorn?" Brian asked, picking Mistene up out of her seat and taking it. Mistene slapped him in mock-hurt.  
  
"Yeah." Ibis rubbed her eyes, remembering, "I talked to him. Well, he talked to me and I screamed at him."  
  
"You did seem angry." Brian said, "What did the thing say to you?"  
  
"He said that I called him." She said, "Something about me opening my mind to him or something. I think he was curious."  
  
"He was out of his bloody mind!" Brian cried, throwing his hands in the air, "That bloody thing could have killed you had it tried!"  
  
"But he didn't." Ibis said, "He wasn't violent, except when he reared up at you."  
  
"That bloody -"  
  
"Stop bloody swearing Brian!" Jackson threw up his hands in an imitation of Brian. "You really talked to it?" he asked Ibis, "Brian thought you were, but no one can just talk to animals - not even Hagrid! I didn't think if was possible."  
  
"Harry can talk to snakes." Mistene said helpfully, the first time she had spoken in a while. Ibis guessed it was Jackson's influence, not necessarily a bad thing.  
  
"I s'pose." Jackson agreed.  
  
"It's not anything like that." Brian told them, "Ibis is nothing like Harry - this is different."  
  
"It is." Ibis wormed her way back into the conversation, "I don't actually speak anther language, my mind is just set on the same plane as theirs."  
  
"Have you done it before?" Jackson asked.  
  
"No." Ibis said, "I haven't. It only started this morning."  
  
"Jackson!" someone shouted from in the hallway.  
  
"Oops, gotta go." Jackson jumped up and raced out, yelling "Hey! Wait up!"  
  
Brian rolled his eyes, "I'd better catch up with him. Don't go making unicorns mad." He added quickly, with a stern look to Ibis, and he ran out.  
  
* * * "Saw you with that new girl, Page." Draco Malfoy stepped out in front of Jackson. "Got yourself a new slut?"  
  
"Shut up Malfoy." Jackson tried to push past him. Don't let him bait you, he told himself, don't get into a fight. He remembered vividly the result of the last fight - painful.  
  
"I suppose that you think she's hot, the beanpole." Malfoy continued, "But then, you never had taste, did you Page?"  
  
"At least I don't ignore girls to the point where I seem queer." Jackson spat.  
  
"Are you suggesting that I am gay?" Malfoy took a step forward and swung, his fist connecting just under Jackson's ribs. His second punch caught him square in the stomach. "Take it back."  
  
"Oof." Jackson stepped back and tried to punch Malfoy, but he danced out of the way.  
  
"And what is going on here?" Brian stepped up behind Jackson, pulling him away from Malfoy's next swing. "Careful there Malfoy."  
  
"Hello Wasco." Malfoy sneered, stepping back all the same, "Come to stick up for your little buddy?"  
  
"No." Brian said calmly, "I came to give you the flogging you deserve. It seems Jackson anticipated my idea."  
  
"It was Page getting the flogging." Malfoy retorted, "He's a wimp."  
  
"If I were you Malfoy, I'd watch what I said." Brian didn't move, but kept talking in calm, patronizing tones, "Some people don't just have fathers in high places."  
  
"Watch it, half-blood." Malfoy said, "The only thing high in your family is your opinion of yourself."  
  
"I was talking about Jackson's family." Brian told him, "But if we are talking about me, I'll just say that I am a fair bit taller than you."  
  
"Your height wont get you everywhere in life." Malfoy spat.  
  
"And your father's influence wont get you anywhere either." Brian said, still calmly. With that, he walked on, beckoning Jackson to follow. 


End file.
